Business intelligence and software company ZoomInfo named its first Chief Compliance Officer and tapped a well-known British data privacy expert for the role.
Simon McDougall, who was most recently deputy commissioner for the Information Commissioner’s Office, will take over this new role at the company. He is based in London, and as a result, ZoomInfo plans to expand its operations in London. Several senior executives will relocate to London this year.
In his previous role McDougall helped oversee the U.K.’s independent authority that upholds information rights and promotes openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals, the company said. At ZoomInfo he will lead the company’s work on providing transparency on how information is collected and used while upholding privacy.
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ZoomInfo (Nasdaq: ZI) gathers, vets and sells business intelligence that is then used by sales organizations to target their go-to-market strategies. The company has more than 2,000 employees globally and has information on more than 25,000 companies. The company has frequently touted its focus on privacy and transparency within its business.
“ZoomInfo is a leader in data privacy, compliance, and security. Transparency and control are at the core of our data operations,” said McDougall in a written statement. “As ZoomInfo continues to expand in the U.K. and in Europe, we’ll help customers navigate complex data rules and regulations, so they can act responsibly in growing their businesses.”
Europe has strict privacy regulations with its General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. McDougall will help ZoomInfo customers understand these regulations and keep on top of the changing landscape. Bringing him onboard is also meant to help the company further expand its European operations.
“In Q3 2021, the international business at ZoomInfo grew over 80% year over year while our investment in our data assets outside of North America also nearly doubled throughout the year. We’re now in an even better position to build on our momentum there,” said ZoomInfo Founder and CEO Henry Schuck in a written statement. “We're thrilled to welcome Simon as we continue to advance our leadership position in compliance and privacy, and we look forward to further expanding our team locally.”
McDougall has worked in the data privacy space for more than two decades.
